View Full Version : longest drive for a day hike
What's the longest time you would be willing to drive (one way) from your home for a day hike? Hiking out then back to your vehicle in one day. I.e. drive 1.5 hours to hike 8 miles out then 8 miles back.
colorado_rob
12-04-2014, 10:32
Well, I've left Denver in the wee hours, driven 6 hours, then a 21 mile "day hike" (a climb down in the San Juans) and driven home 6 hours. Can't remember if I made it home by midnight, I'm thinking not, so does this count?
Living in a bit west of Boston, my favorite hiking trails are in the White Mountains. From my house to the trailheads in Franconia Notch is a bit over two hours driving along Rte. 3 and 93. That's pretty much my limit for a day hike.
I used to be willing to drive several hours for a day hike. No longer. The most I'm willing to do now is two hours each way to Shenandoah National Park. Even then, I'd much prefer a quick overnight hike if I'm driving over an hour, if my schedule allows for it.
hikernutcasey
12-04-2014, 10:41
I live 1.5 to 2 hours from the trail depending where I get on at so that is my normal drive time. I can be at Grayson Highlands or anywhere south of there over to Roan in roughly the same amount of time from my house. I also live 1.5 hours from Grandfather Mtn. where I do a lot of day hiking.
I am also blessed to have a wonderful state park in my back yard, Stone Mountain state park in NC. And then there's the Doughton Park Rec. area adjacent to the park which has probably 25 miles of nice trails. Plenty of day hiking for me :)
Rain Man
12-04-2014, 10:44
Does it count if the day hike was on the way to visit family? :)
Rain:sunMan
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Starchild
12-04-2014, 10:50
1 hour seems to get me to a lot of trails and like to stay within that limit, but have done some at 1.5 hrs, after that I really need a additional reason, such as friends going that I want to see. Totally on my own, perhaps 30 minutes is more reasonable unless again I have a reason for going there.
Sort of related, heard a yellow blaze 'record' of the AT thru hike was done by yellow blazing from the forest service road in GA to Katahdin. So that was a long way to go for a day hike.
Drove 12 hrs from Kansas City to Cades Cove to walk the 11 mile loop then headed home. We just missed Tn.
Old Grouse
12-04-2014, 10:59
Two hours is about my limit as well. For me on the AT, that's all of CT, most of NY, plus southern MA.
+1 2 hours max
Glacier National Park, is nearby. I do my day hiking, entering from the east side of the park.
swisscross
12-04-2014, 11:20
Does it count if the day hike was on the way to visit family? :)
Rain:sunMan
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Why not.
I did a day hike in the Redwoods National park. Drove there from Alabama, over 2,600 miles.
Traveler
12-04-2014, 11:26
Longest I have driven for a day hike and returned home was about 4 hours to climb Katahdin. Since then, I find 3 hours is the very maximum I will drive (prefering 2-2.5 hours) for a day hike and return the same day.
Odd Man Out
12-04-2014, 11:29
We've taken day trips up to the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness (about 2 hrs) and Sleeping Bear Dunes NL (about 3 hrs). But our "hikes" are pretty minimal.
imscotty
12-04-2014, 11:49
A 3 hour drive for me is the most I want to go, but I have done 4. You ever finish a hard hike, get right in the car, drive three hours, and then find you can barely get out of the car because you legs are so stiff?
As I get older I am looking for hikes closer to home.
Feral Bill
12-04-2014, 12:16
As a rule of thumb, driving time does not exceed play time, regardless of the activity.
AtomicLlama
12-04-2014, 12:22
If I wanted to take a hike of more than a couple miles (other than some very contrived trails in state parks that basically zigzag back and forth with each leg ~1000 feet from the least in order to create several miles of trail in a tiny area), I would have to drive 6-8 hours, to Colorado, Wyoming, Missouri, South Dakota, Arkansas, etc. I did once drive for two days each way in order to spend two days hiking on the AT in Georgia.
If anybody knows of some secret location for a decent day hike within ~3 hours of Omaha, NE, that would be amazing. We do have a few cool places to hike, but a "big" state park around here is 3000 acres, and what long-distance trails there are are rails-to-trails projects that generally run through farm fields and are designed for biking more than hiking.
peakbagger
12-04-2014, 14:10
Not really a day hike but every couple of years I drive over to Millinocket Maine (from the Whites) to the Baxter State Park headquarters in January to make reservations for summer time camping. Its a 4 hour drive one way. A long drive but gets me in the mood for next summers camping.
soumodeler
12-04-2014, 15:33
I once drove 3 hours each way to do a 5 mile day hike. After I got home I was wondering why I drove that long, but I decided that I had fun, so it was worth it.
Well, I've left Denver in the wee hours, driven 6 hours, then a 21 mile "day hike" (a climb down in the San Juans) and driven home 6 hours. Can't remember if I made it home by midnight, I'm thinking not, so does this count?
A day hike has to be completed 24 hours... just like a thru hike...
Kerosene
12-04-2014, 17:09
It wasn't in a single 24-hour period, but I drove from Ann Arbor, Michigan to the University of Miami (Ohio) northwest of Cincinnati, where I picked up my daughter and her girlfriend and then drove to Roanoke so we could hike up to McAfee Knob with a bunch of AT enthusiasts back in February 2011. I think it took us 11-12 hours each way. One last fling before I started a new job. Sure, it was a long drive but we still fondly remember the day hike.
I love to drive, and have a sports car, even then three hours is plenty of driving. Do it regularly since I'm midway between Adirondacks and Whites. 3 hour drive, 8-10 hours hiking, 3 hours home.
Does it count if the day hike was on the way to visit family? :)
Rain:sunMan
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I drove from CT to the airport in Rhode Island, flew to Florida, picked up a boat, trailered it with a uhaul truck to Macafee's Knob, hiked 15 miles or so, then drove back to CT. I only went on the trip so I could take that walk on the way by, pretty much. And like Rain Man, family was involved.
LittleRock
12-04-2014, 17:35
Once drove 5 hours, hiked the Old Rag Mtn loop in Shenandoah (~ 7 miles), then 5 hours back in one day. The hiking was lovely, the driving not so much.
full conditions
12-04-2014, 17:40
I live on the edge of the Smokies and can be on one of the Deep Creek Trails in a matter of minutes or around Smokemont in 30 minutes but its also nice to do new trails but many of the trails in the park can be an enormous drive for me -anything around Cades Cove takes me at least 2.5 hours depending on traffic. I tend keep those expeditions to a minimum and my average day hike drive tends to be under an hour.
I love to drive, and have a sports car, even then three hours is plenty of driving. Do it regularly since I'm midway between Adirondacks and Whites. 3 hour drive, 8-10 hours hiking, 3 hours home.
Actually, it looks to me like Essex VT is just across Lake Champlain from the DAKs, and about 20 minutes from the Long Trail. I'm guessing Essex is just out of the frame in the photo below -- the view is from a peak in the DAKs (near Giant Mountain) looking east toward Lake Champlain at sunrise.
johnnybgood
12-04-2014, 18:05
It wasn't in a single 24-hour period, but I drove from Ann Arbor, Michigan to the University of Miami (Ohio) northwest of Cincinnati, where I picked up my daughter and her girlfriend and then drove to Roanoke so we could hike up to McAfee Knob with a bunch of AT enthusiasts back in February 2011. I think it took us 11-12 hours each way. One last fling before I started a new job. Sure, it was a long drive but we still fondly remember the day hike.
I was waiting for you to chime in Kerosene. I immediately thought about you when I saw this thread.
garlic08
12-04-2014, 18:09
As a rule of thumb, driving time does not exceed play time, regardless of the activity.
This is my rule as well.
The Snowman
12-04-2014, 19:52
one rather silly trip I drove 6 hours to hike for a mile on the beach in Del. just was not worth the effort
3 hours, 23 minutes. Thats the time (one way) from my house to Table Rock State Park in SC. Any farther than that and I'm spending the night. I'm getting to where one night isn't really enough, either. My wife gives me a lot of crap about going hiking, but frankly the amount of pre hiking prep and post hiking cleanup is the same whether you're going for one night or two or five (okay so you bring a little more food, but thats it). Driving 4 hours, walking a bit away from the car, walking a bit back to the car, and driving 4 hours home gets tedious. I like that day in the middle where there's no car involved at all. Just get up, walkwalkwalkwalk, sleep.
3 hours, 23 minutes. Thats the time (one way) from my house to Table Rock State Park in SC. Any farther than that and I'm spending the night. I'm getting to where one night isn't really enough, either. My wife gives me a lot of crap about going hiking, but frankly the amount of pre hiking prep and post hiking cleanup is the same whether you're going for one night or two or five (okay so you bring a little more food, but thats it). Driving 4 hours, walking a bit away from the car, walking a bit back to the car, and driving 4 hours home gets tedious. I like that day in the middle where there's no car involved at all. Just get up, walkwalkwalkwalk, sleep.
This is exactly why I started this thread. I'm sectioning the iat and driving 2 hours each way and getting "the look" from the wife. I bet her there were plenty of obsessed backpackers that drove as far, if not further.
Actually, it looks to me like Essex VT is just across Lake Champlain from the DAKs, and about 20 minutes from the Long Trail. I'm guessing Essex is just out of the frame in the photo below -- the view is from a peak in the DAKs (near Giant Mountain) looking east toward Lake Champlain at sunrise.
Yup, I can see my house from there! But as the saying goes, you can't get there from here. Just across the lake is only 12 miles, but you have to go around the lake (I climbed many of the 46 while the bridge was out, but even with the bridge, you have to go south, then north, not due west), or take a ferry, so it's not a quick trip . Parts of the 'Daks are indeed much closer, but they keep on going west, so getting to the Santanoni Range or Seward Range takes a while. And yes, the Long Trail is in my backyard, and I spend plenty of time in VT, but I was talking about going to the White Mtns. in New Hampshire... a long drive. Like a few others have said, I try to keep the driving time less than the fun time, but some of the driving is fun! Cheers.
Old Grouse
12-05-2014, 14:37
"As a rule of thumb, driving time does not exceed play time, regardless of the activity."
So if you get stuck in a traffic delay, do you get out and play around a little bit in order to maintain the proper balance?
I've driven 4.5 hrs one way to upstate New York to do a 30 mile day hike then drive back. Long day...and morning... and into the night. Sore for three days after. What I've done and what I'm currently willing to do to do a day hike has changed as I purposefully choose to live in areas where I don't have to travel so far to do a lengthy day hike. I've made myself aware, but still are ever on the prowl, for day hike opps within 100 miles of wherever I am.
Feral Bill
12-05-2014, 18:29
"As a rule of thumb, driving time does not exceed play time, regardless of the activity."
So if you get stuck in a traffic delay, do you get out and play around a little bit in order to maintain the proper balance?
That would be very rare where I am. Still, your idea has merit.
A couple of hours is about my limit for driving time to a day hike. I only wish I lived closer to the mountains!
As a rule of thumb, driving time does not exceed play time, regardless of the activity.
Ditto. If the driving time exceeds the hiking time, it's a long drive with a short break in the middle.
I've been thinking this issue for a while now. If I head south, it will take me 2.5 hours to get to a section I haven't hiked yet. If I head North, with the exception of Md, which I saved along with Northern Virginia for day hikes, I'm at the 2 - 2.5 hour drive time. Every time I go, the distance gets a bit longer. I'm done with Northern VA, and will be done with Md over the next couple of months, so it looks like I'll be taking less trips to the AT, but spending more time when I go.
I've been thinking this issue for a while now. If I head south, it will take me 2.5 hours to get to a section I haven't hiked yet. If I head North, with the exception of Md, which I saved along with Northern Virginia for day hikes, I'm at the 2 - 2.5 hour drive time. Every time I go, the distance gets a bit longer. I'm done with Northern VA, and will be done with Md over the next couple of months, so it looks like I'll be taking less trips to the AT, but spending more time when I go.
That's how it goes for the persistent multi-year section hiker. Welcome to the club! I hiked most of Maine as a series of 3- and 4-day hikes, but that led to a series of 100 mile hikes as the trailheads got farther from home... then a final 600 mile-ish hike to finish.
We Americans are conditioned to having our free time highly fragmented, rarely considering outdoor recreations that take more than a day or a long weekend. How many working people would carve out a ten day block of vacation time to go hike the AT? It took a good bit of luck and finagling for me to get a six-week leave in order to finish the trail.
Another Kevin
12-07-2014, 15:27
If I want to get a few hours' walking in, I have a few nice county, town and private nature preserves (http://www.amcmohawkhudson.org/outdoors/outlist.asp) less than a half-hour away. One of those has a six-mile loop around a deep gorge that's lovely on snowshoes. (It's still kind of pretty even when the leaves are on the trees.) Or I can even just walk for a half-hour on a rail-trail to Mohawk River State Park (http://www.amcmohawkhudson.org/outdoors/view.asp?loc=mrsp). It's a tiny state park, with trails that zigzag to give the illusion that they're longer, but it's still a quick opportunity to get out when I need some fresh air and haven't much time.
Beyond that, well, 2-2.5 hours each way is about my range for a day trip. That will put me on practically any A-T trailhead between Delaware Water Gap and Rutland, or any Catskill, Helderberg or Adirondack trailhead. The Mohawk Valley is a great place to live if you're a hiker.
sccamper
12-07-2014, 23:36
2 hours is about my limit. If I go any further than Im spending the night on the trail.
Im thinking about doing a section near Franklin NC next week. 2 hour drive but also will require a shuttle fee. Still undecided.